Studies in the Psalms - Psalm 138

It happens fast. As soon as the turkey is gone and the pie all eaten, Thanksgiving is over and we find ourselves in the rush and frenzy of the Christmas season. If anything should make us thankful, you would think the true meaning of Christmas, the coming of our Lord and Savior, would keep us in a state of thankfulness. But instead we get caught up in the rush of the season. Psalm 138 is a reminder of our need to be ever thankful to our God and to be sure we are offering Him every bit of praise and worship we can muster up.

Psalm 138:1

I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to You before the gods.

Commentators disagree on who these “gods” are, but I think J. Vernon McGee gets it right when he says these gods are anything that comes between us and God. In a personal application, here, what this means is that we must remind ourselves that God is above our boyfriend, our Harley, our bass boats, and, anything and everything else, we spend our time with on this earth.

Psalm 138:2
I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.

God’s Word is proof of who He is. It is our reminder that what God says, He does. We can have faith in Him and His Word. God’s name, who God is, is revealed in His Word. Be thankful for these things.

Psalm 138:3
On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul.

God has given us, through Jesus, access to His Throne of Grace. We can go to God in prayer anytime with boldness and an expectation that He hears us. Be thankful for these things.

Psalm 138:4-6
All the kings of the earth will give thanks to You, O LORD, When they have heard the words of Your mouth.  And they will sing of the ways of the LORD, For great is the glory of the LORD. For though the LORD is exalted, Yet He regards the lowly, But the haughty He knows from afar.

It doesn’t matter whether we are a mighty king or a lowly beggar. We can and should be thankful of the truth that Jesus left the Glory of Heaven, to come to earth and become poor and despised. The sinless son of God, became sin for us and took the penalty of our sin at Calvary. Salvation is not reserved for the rich nor the poor, but for all who will come to Him in repentance. And even those who reject Him now, when Christ returns, will see that they should have been thankful and should have followed Christ.

Psalm 138:7
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.

Jesus promised we would have trouble in this life, but He promised He would never leave nor forsake us. Be thankful for this.

Psalm 138:8
The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

No matter where you are today, if you are His, you can know He will carry you through. His love never ends. For this we must be thankful.

This morning go to God through Jesus and tell Him your needs, your fears, and even your desires. Then trust Him to provide what is best. And then be thankful to Him. End your prayers with the beginning of this psalm.

I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to You before the gods.

God bless all who read His Word.